NCBA Asks Congress to Intervene on Australian FTA

Washington, D.C. (November 21, 2002) – National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Wythe Willey is sending a letter to members of Congress today urging their support and input as the Administration prepares to negotiate a free trade agreement (FTA) with Australia. 

Willey, a cattle producer from Iowa, says, “The U.S. is already the least restricted and largest beef import market in the world, and NCBA sees no net benefit for the U.S. beef industry from an FTA with Australia.”

Today’s letter to Congress is the latest in a long line of correspondences from NCBA and other agriculture groups to the Administration and Congress urging caution in trade negotiations with Australia, and suggesting that more efforts be focused on the current World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. 

“We continue to believe that the multi-lateral WTO negotiations provide the best strategy for reducing unfair trade barriers and opening markets for U.S. agricultural products,” says Willey.  “Only through multi-lateral negotiations can the challenges and opportunities for the industry be observed simultaneously.”

NCBA says trade negotiations must address the current challenges being faced by U.S. agriculture such as reducing tariffs, expanding Tariff Rate Quotas, export and production-distorting subsidies, and Technical Barriers to Trade issues to prevent further disadvantage to U.S. beef producers.

“I strongly encourage you to express caution to the Administration about launching FTA negotiations with Australia or New Zealand, and to reject any final agreement with either of these countries that results in tariff reductions or expansion of Tariff Rate Quotas on a faster timeline or to a greater magnitude than is agreed to through the multilateral WTO negotiations,” says Willey.  “Your constituents depend on you to deliver this message to ensure that the U.S. beef industry does not suffer irreparable damage from a free trade agreement with Australia or New Zealand.”

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